Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Colorado GMU 54

KC
Getting back to GMU 54 and W Elk Creek. Would you recomed hunting on the West side of the creek then since the East side will have a lot of pressure? Or will the outfitter that camps out on the West side run me off?

wshep820:

I've only hunted the West Elk Creek gorge seven times and that was when I was a lot younger and stronger.

The outfitter can't run you off. It's all public property and you have as much right to be there as he does. He has paid a concessions fee to get exclusive commercial outfitting priveledges in the area. But that does not exclude anyone else from hunting in the area. It's a free country. The outfitter camps at Rock Springs and he will have lots of hunters on the west rim as far north as Bonfisk Peak. They don't usually go much farther north than that. If you camped in Buck Hollow or on one of the ridges south of there (that's what I did), you might have the place to yourself. I hunted that area twice and got a respectable bull and a cow.

I had the best luck when I rented horses from Ferro's and rode into the bottom of the gorge around the lake. Stay below the high water line and you will always be on public land. I camped about three miles up-stream from where the Lion Gulch trail hits the creek. There are a couple of places on the east side of the creek where side gullies form box canyons with trickling waterfalls that make for great corrals and just need a few aspen poles at the entrance to keep the horses in. One thing nice about this strategy is that the outfitters hunters chase the elk down off the rim towards you.

I hunted the east rim twice and didn't like it because there were too many other hunters. But it's easy and if killing an elk is not your highest priority, then the east rim is the easiest and the most fun.

KC

Thanks again KC.

I want meat in the freezer so I am doing what I can now to give myself the best shot possible. I've scheduled a couple of weekends to go down and scout out the area, see what access is like and if I can handle the climbs with loads of meat on my back.

I did contact that wrangler on your recomendation and I'm working out the expense of including hourses in this hunt. I wasn't originally planning on that but you are persuasive in your reasoning and it sure wouldn't hurt to have the hourse power when it comes to packing everything out, elk and all.

Thanks again for all the imput.

We just got back from buying 3 of the OTC w/cap Either Sex tags for Unit 54, 2nd season.

Got mine, but couldn't get a bear tag they sold out QUICK since it was saying quota sold out at 9:25

I'm late to the party but have hunted the west side of West Elk Creek a couple times with an outfitter (Gary Ballard) in a drop camp. I've also hunted Swampy a time or two. The Rock Springs camps are usually full and they hunt all over adjacent area around camp. They do venture up toward Bonfisk but usually stay south - at least when I was there.

Hunting in the gorge will yield elk and some dang nice bulls. But there is no free lunch. I sat on the west rim and watched elk roaming around the gorge one year. I saw over 50 elk and some dang nice bulls. Most have seen the day hunt drill before and are located accordingly.

Two problems readily come to mind: 1. getting out of the canyon with an elk; 2. getting to elk. Have a real good look at the topo map of the area. There is alot of area with quasi-cliffs. You won't be traversing them.

Both problems can be illustrated by a story. The last year I hunted over there, I watched a decent bull directly below me at ~ 1000 yards. I watched him lay down and had his location figured. I called my Dad over to guide me into the area. I got down to within 300 yards of the bull but could not get around an unforeseen stream. Crossing the stream involved dropping off the bank about 6-8 feet and scaling the opposing bank of simialr magnitude. I tried for an hour and couldn't do it. It took me 45 minutes to climb back up the 6-700 yards I came. It was literally like climbing a ladder at 10,000 feet altitude.

The elk are there but require work. Another suggestion I've never shared before - try to get into the very top end of Cow Creek. There are a number of smaller meadows at the top end that sit on the south facing ridge. Dark, steep timber is on the north side and is a 5 second walk over the top. Bulls stay in the timber and pop up over the ridge to eat in those small meadows. Might have seen them do it.

Got my either sex tags for me, the boy, and son inlaw. Son inlaw just coming back from afganistan. Thankfully he will now be stationed a Fort Carson. 2nd season here we come gunnison.

I am not sure what the fall will bring yet in terms of browse and standing water. We are finally getting some rain here but like most places, dry as a bone since March I think. Water may be a key to the fall hunt. Certainly should be an issue for my bear tag too.

Thanks bwinters. This sure is a different game from hunting white tails on the ranch back home. I've got Cow Creek on my list to check out now when I'm out scouting, from the map I can see what you are saying it will be something else to when one of those bulls decides to strech his legs and get a little bite to eat.

On another note, what has been peoples experience when the weather has been so dry all summer? I know it will be much harder to sneak around, but what in terms of how it affects Elk behavior?

When it's dry, animals tend to hang within a relatively short commuter distance to water. For an elk or mule deer, that commuter distance could be anywhere between one and four miles. But, by-and-large, animals tend to hang relatively close.

Also, dry conditions which occur months ahead of a hunting season aren't as important - in a relative sense - as the actual weather or precipitation amount that occurs during the hunting season.

Just saw the list of left over tags for GMU 54 and sure enough there are 60 left over Either Sex tags availalble for the picking come August 14.

I have two weekend trips planned out for September to scout out the area and figure out what it is going to take to hunt and haul an elk out of there.

Seems like all there is left to do is keep getting in shape, spend as many hours as I can justify to my wife out at the range, and hope ole Wapiti blesses me with my ration of meat for the year.

You might check that again.I don't think the 500 tags for EE OTC w/cap for the 2nd season would be on the left over list.Two days after the OTC tags went on sale,there was 1 left last time I checked.None show now.
Would those be for 1st, 3rd, or 4th season? I don't know.

They're there for the 3rd rifle season.

Well the tag is bought, the plan ticket for my brother is purchased, and the date is set. How much longer will this damn summer last? November can not get here too soon.

On another note. I have two rifles and I'm debating which one to take. I have a .270 and a .30-06. There is much debate about which of these is the best caliber for hunting Elk, seems to be a matter of preference as far as I can tell.

Thoughts?

Take the one you shoot best.

Either one will kill an elk.

Take both rifles. Spare gun won't hurt anything.

+1

KC

6 of us low landers from Ohio will be heading out for the 2nd rifle season in GMU 54. Looking at the West Elk Creek area but I hear it's steep and all up hill on the way out.
I am not worried about getting an Elk out, the hard part will be finding the Elk. What is the best way to go in on the West side of the creek? Any help will be greatly appreciated.

I can't help.I hunt the east side and ride 4 legged critters.

Well if I hunt the East side I will look for you. I will be the one gasping for air.